Recent School News

Emma Sharon '15 (front row, 4th from right) and her University of Virginia Rowing team won the 2017 ACC Championships. Emma played soccer and softball at LCA and her LCA student-athlete experience helped set the foundation for her collegiate career.

Emma Sharon '15 was a great influence on the LCA community serving as chaplain prefect, a member of the National Honor Society, and competing on the varsity soccer and softball teams. As a student-athlete she competed in EIL and NEPSAC Soccer tournaments and won EIL championships in both soccer (2012) and softball (2015).

"Emma was one of the toughest and most compassionate student-athletes I have ever coached," said Girls' Varsity Soccer Coach, Ryan Patrie '03. "She battled back from an ACL injury to be back on the team because she loved her teammates. Emma is the player that every team must have to be successful – selfless, committed, determined, and in love with the sport and team. "

Emma battled back from an ACL tear to play soccer her senior year and score a memorable goal against Bancroft in a Homecoming win.

Since graduating LCA, Emma spent her Freshman year of college at Loyola University (MD) where she picked up a new passion - rowing. As a member of an NCAA Division 1 rowing team Emma, realized a whole new level of student-athlete commitment. Following her year at Loyola, Emma made an important decision to transfer to the University of Virginia where she has continued her rowing career. At UVA Emma has made the Dean's List, Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll, been involved in the student leadership of the Athletes in Action, a Student-Athlete Mentor, and last spring her team won the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Rowing Championship.

When asked about her time at LCA, Emma's favorite athletic memory was winning the EIL Soccer Championship during her sophomore season.

Something that her LCA athletic experience gave her was grit and perseverance. "There are mornings where it's a huge struggle to get up for 6:30 am practice and then go to class all day after that, but I think the perseverance that was beginning to develop in my middle and high school years keeps me going even when I'm super tired and don't know if I can get through the next practice," said Emma.

Emma's involvement with Athletes in Action has enhanced her college experience as well as strengthened her own faith in God.

"Being in a community of athletes that are competing at a top level but trying to pursue success in a Godly way has been incredible and so encouraging. The world of college sports often feels like a very Godless place, and having the support and fellowship of other athletes that are using their sport and their platform to glorify God makes that world a lot less lonely," said Emma. "The pressure to succeed can get kind of intense, and the competition is unlike any other team I've been a part of. There are practices where I under-perform, or coach is yelling, or I'm not in the right mindset. It'd be really easy to beat myself up for it, but knowing that I am competing for a bigger purpose and that my worth is not based on how I perform on the water makes getting through the tough practices a lot easier."

When asked about one piece of advice that she would give to any LCA students aspiring to be collegiate athletes, Emma replied, "Be patient and persevere. Trust that there's a bigger plan. If you had told me my senior year that I'd be on the top 10 ranked rowing team at UVA by my sophomore year of college, I would've laughed. I didn't even know what rowing was at that point! But God certainly had a bigger plan than my own, it's opened so many doors and created so many friendships, and now it's hard to imagine life without it."

Emma's involvement in rowing and Athletes in Action has enhanced her college experience in many ways including the strengthening of her faith.

Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) was founded in 1946 with the belief that faith and learning are key and inseparable components of Christian education. As a school that was born out of the evangelical movement in New England, our founders believed... Read More